


Halfway Home

by HauntedAutomaton



Series: Inspired by Art [7]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Abandonment, Angst, F/F, Gen, Hurt, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 23:27:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14779313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HauntedAutomaton/pseuds/HauntedAutomaton
Summary: Lapis and Peridot try to reunite, but there is still so much space between them.





	Halfway Home

    Peridot shifted in the confines of the bathtub. Dreaming. Hoping. But with a single drop of water from the tub’s spigot, she awoke with a start.

    “Lapis?”

    Her eyes tried to focus in the dark of the bathroom. Looking back at her, kneeling on the floor, was the ocean gem. Forlorn, and longing. Neither of them spoke for a moment.

    After a trembling sigh, Peridot broke the silence. “...Why...”

    Lapis opened her mouth, but before she could muster any kind of response, Peridot continued. “...Why did you have to leave, Lapis?”

    The blue gem pulled her knees up to her chin. It took a moment before she decided to speak. “...I was...scared. I still am. Even just being near-”

    “I know you’re scared.” Peridot interrupted. “I am too. But...why wasn’t I...why wasn’t I enough to keep you here.”

    “Peridot! No! It’s not like that, it doesn’t-”

    “I guess I thought if I stayed,” the green gem continued, “that you’d at least want to protect our home...to protect _me_.”

    There was another silence.

    “You don’t know what they did to me. I had to run.” Lapis finally said.

    The faucet in the tub let loose another drop.

    “Please don’t be mad-” but the ocean gem was cut off again.

    “I can’t believe I’m even talking to you.”

    Lapis bit back a tear.

    Peridot shifted in her damp, soured covers. “I should have known better. I was the one who brought you back here. There’s no way you’d have stayed just for me.”

    “Peridot, please...” but Lapis couldn’t find any more words.

    The rusted valve behind the tiled wall had begun to crack. The miniscule pores in the valve’s metal wall had been letting droplets of water well up on the outside surface. Each of these tiny spheres would pool and grow, until they, together, had the mass to flow down the length of the bathtub fixture. The leaking faucet let fall another teardrop of wayward bathwater.

    “Lapis...” Peridot whispered into the dark. “Lapis I’ll forgive you.”

    The ocean gem shuffled toward the tub, trying not to hope.

    “I’ll forgive you, if you promise me something.”

    “...Perido-”

    “Promise me,” Peridot stared into the empty night, flickering in and out of focus, “that you’ll come back.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed something in particular about this, or thought of something that might work better in a spot or two, please let me know! I'm trying to get better, so all comments/criticisms welcome. I'd love to hear from you!


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